Web-feeding mechanism



E. I. SMITH WEB FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JANIZQ. 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

FIGJ.

INVENTQR.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

E. J. SMITH. WEB FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 29. I916.

1,824,362. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FIG.3.

INVENTOR- kbz-a rrEn sra'rns earn curios. I

ERNEST J. SMITH, or New Yonk, n. rz assrenoe'ro n. HOE AND 00., or NEW roan,

N. Y}, A QQBBQBATION OF NEW YORK.

wnn rnnnnve Mechanism.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

Application filed January 29, 1916. Serial No. 7 L983.

To all oohom it may concern:

Bev itknown that I, Eunns'r J. Snrrir, a

I subject of the King of England, residing at New York, county of New York, and "State or New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVebEeedmglVIechan'xsm, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, formlng a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improveinents in machines for forwarding material n continuous lengths or Webs and has been de signed especially for ,use \jvl-th rotary web printing machines, and particularly that class of mach nes known intagho prlntmg machines, although theinvention has been designed for and may be used with other types of machines.

n rotary web prlnting machines of that class in which intaglio cylinders are employed, the pressure of the cylinders on the 'jweb is very heavy and generally in this class ott'machines the feed of the web is effected by the printing cylinderswhile they remain in-contact and during the t methe machine i running. ln certain classes of printing machines, and particularly intagliof niachines, the printing cylinders have to be tripped or separated, and when this occurs When this occurs, the whole strain ot'advancing or forw'ardingthe web falls on the forwarding devices which are employed in this class of machine, and as, these forwarding devices, which are generallyrolls, are located beyond. the printing mechanism, for forwarding the Web tothe delivery end of the machine, they are at a considerable distance from the paper roll or other source of web supply. 'In most mstances, the perlod of separationor of noncooperation of the-printing elements is very short, and it is undesirable to stop the whole 7 machine, the forwarding rolls and the rest of the machine continuing torun while the.

printing elements are in non-printing positron. "The tension or'straln put upon the "web, from the forwarding ordrawing rolls frequently causes breaks in the web and, in any case, even if the web does not break, the continued operation of the rolls results in unnecessary feeding and consequent waste of the web during the time th-atjthe printing operation of the printing mechanism is suspended;-

It is oneo'bject of the present invention" to provide a construction whereby the forwarding or drawing. rolls may be silenced and the forwarding of the web stopped when the operation oithc printing mechanism is suspended, thus obviating the breaking or wasting of the web. I

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a construction in machines where a continuously driven slitter is employed for slitting the web,- by which. the glitter is driven from the roll driving means and silenced simultaneously with the silencing of the rolls.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations which will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, to afford a thorough understanding of the invention.

linthe drawings, Figure 1 is a front diagrannnatic view, partly brokenaway, of a which the in'i proved construction is applied,

the figure also showing diagran'm'iatically part 01 a rotary printing couple; Fig. 3 is al sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the clutch mechanism employed for silencing the rolls, and Fig. 4 is a plan view,

partly broken away, showing a part of the driving connectionsillustrated in 2.

Referring now to these drawings, the machine chosen to illustrate the invention is a rotary web printing machine in which the form cylinders are arranged for intaglio printing, but it will be understood that the invention is applicable for use with other printing machines in which a web is printed, and may, if desired, be used with machines other than printing machines employed for handling and forwarding webs of material. In the machine illustrated, the web W is printed upon and forwarded during the printing operation by rotary printing mechanism, one couple being shown, and comprising form and impression cylinders l, 2, from which it passes under a turning roll 3 to the delivery end of the machine. In the particular construction illustrated, the web is slit "by a suitable slitting mechanism, such as rolls 4, 5, and the two parts of the web are passed over a turner bar 6 and are brought together by associating and forwarding devices which in the particular construction illustrated are a pair of forwarding or drawing rolls 8, 9. From these rolls, the

associated webs are as usual passed to cutting and folding cylinders 10, 11, and are delivered from a delivery cylinder 12 in the usual manner. The forwarding or drawing rolls are continuously driven during the operation of the machine, and in accordance with the invention means are provided whereby these rolls may be silenced or cease their operation when the printing operation of the machine is suspended and without interrupting the operation of the driving mechanism. While these means may vary somewhat in construction, as illustrated the rolls are driven through a clutch mechanism 13, the particular construction and operation of which may be somewhat varied. Preferably, and as illustrated, one member 1 1 of this clutch is continuously driven through a train or gearing 15 from the driving shaft 16 of the machine, the other member of the clutch 17 driving one of the rolls, as the roll 8, through intermediate gear 15, roll 9 being driven from the roll 8 in the usual manner, the two members of the clutch 1 1, 17 having frictional engagement with each other through means of the friction washer 18 located between the members.

The members of the clutch are arranged to slip and thus stop the driving of the forwarding rolls when a predetermined pressure is placed on the web as in the present instance the pressure produced by the cessation of the forwarding web by the printing couples when the printing operation is suspended. In the best constructions means are provided for adjusting the clutch so that it will slip at different degrees of pressure on the web, as, for instance, in the present case when the tension .on the web is unduly increased because of the printing cylinders ceasing to cooperate in the feeding of the web. These means may be, as illustrated, an adjusting hand nut 19 on the end of the shaft 20 of the clutch, a compression spring 21 being interposed between the nut and the member 1 1 and causing it to frictionally engage the other member 17. If desired, the usual antifriction balls may be provided between the clutch members and the fixed parts of the machine 011 which the clutch members are supported.

In machines embodying a slitter it may also be desirable to'silence the slitters when the tension on the web is unduly increased, and in the best constructions means will be provided whereby the slitting rolls may be silenced from the same clutch mechanism as the forwarding or drawing rolls. While the means for accomplishing this may be varied,

in the particular construction shown the clutch member 17 is a gear and the slitting rolls are driven from this member through intermediate gearing 22, whereby the slitting and drawing rolls are simultaneously silenced. It will be understood, however, that if necessary or desired a separate friction clutch may be supplied for the slitter.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred form, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the form of the clutch and that the invention is not, therefore, to be restricted to the particular form shown, and it is further understood that the invention is intended to be and will be used with printing machines other than intaglio machines, and with machines in which a continuance web is forwarded.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary printing machine, the combination with a printing mechanism, the

printing members of which act to forward the web when in printing relation, of a pair of web-forwarding rolls located beyond the printing mechanism, means for driving the rolls, and means controlled by the tension on the web for stopping the feeding operation of the rolls without interrupting tie driving mechanism when the printing mechanism is not operating on the web.

2. In a printing machine, the combination with a printing couple, members of which act to forward the web when in printing relation with each other, of web forwarding rolls, means for continuously driving the rolls, and a clutching mechanism through which the rolls are driven, said clutch mechanism being arranged to unclutch and, stop the feeding operation of the rolls when the printing couple is not operating on the web.

3. In a printing machine, the combination with a printing couple, the members of which act to forward the .web when in printing relation with each other, of web-forwarding rolls, and a friction clutch for driving the rolls and arranged to slip and stop the feeding operation of the rolls when the printing couple is not operating on the web.

4. In a web printing machine, the combination of a printing couple the members of which act to forward the web when in printing relation with each other, web-forwarding rolls, web slitting mechanism, a friction clutch, and connections from one member of the clutch for driving the rolls and slitter, said clutch being arranged to slip and stop the operation of the rolls and slitter upon a predetermined tension being put upon the web.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST .iysmrn. 

